


Food for thought

by Yuletide (Zebra)



Category: Superman Returns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 12:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17043344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zebra/pseuds/Yuletide
Summary: After the world is save and certain again it is their turn to find a path for certainty.





	Food for thought

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Addison R (beyond_belief)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyond_belief/gifts).



The sun was bright on his body, making him shine in iridescent blue. Richard imagined what it would be like to slowly move his fingers along that body covered in blue. Imagined what it'd be like without the blue suit.

A dreamy sigh from Lois pulled him from his musings.

"Would you rather be outside? Flying with him?"

"No, not now. I have flown with him. I never just watched him fly like this."

They both gazed outside. Looking at him. It had been Lois who had wanted to go flying. Steeling her nerves and maybe his too for the difficult move they had talked long nights about.

Richard kept his hands on the controls, even when he wanted to grasp Lois' hand, make sure she was still with him.

He figured if he wanted to, he could take them off. If something untoward happened, Superman would take less than a blink of an eye to save them. He made no mistake on that, Superman may be looking like he was was just enjoying a few moments in the sun. Flying on his back, his eyes closed. But Richard knew why they weren't talking much, he'd hear. Probably not intentionally, but Richard had noticed it in the news room. The small flicker of eyes, a slight hastily aborted turn of a head. When Lois talked, Superman listened. Even if just for a moment, before he caught himself and turned his attention deliberately elsewhere.

In front of their plane, there was the small jerk from Supeman, barely noticeable if you weren't looking for it.

But he suddenly opened his eyes, looking to the side in a way that had become familiar to Richard: someone someone was calling for a savior. Superman didn't hesitate, throwing them a fast glance and shooting off. The boom followed soon after. It had been merely a leisure flight at a speed to keep up with them when their paths crossed. Not even a jet could keep up with Superman when he was needed, Richard’s small plane was a lot slower than the Man of Steel. Instead of fruitlessly trying to follow, he turned the plane back towards Metropolis. They a careful plans to turn into reality

"At least he agreed to come. If there’s time."

Yes, he'd come to their home. Because they had invited him.

The first chance since the New Krypton ordeal to truly talk. Just the three of them. Lois had called him before and introduced him to Jason, send the boy flying with his biological father.

But they’d hadn't had time to talk about where they’d go from here. Lois had made it clear that if even she couldn't settle on a wedding date, she had no intention of leaving him either. For his part Richard had tried to treat Clark like an employee at the Planet and not like a potential rival, had looked away when Clark’s head jerked up to listen to something none of them could hear and didn't ask where he disappeared to. For one, he could hardly let on that Superman worked on his news floor and for the other, they had to somehow resolve whatever was between them and he wouldn't just give up the fight for Lois when she hadn't given up on him.

And so they had flown, Lois to calm her jitters about calling Superman for diner, and Richard in the hopes of encountering the man out here, where it was easier to just say their invitation and watch for the nod or shake, when they had an excuse not to actually talk to him just yet.

* * *

Lasagna Lois had decreed.

He was to make lasagna and she kept zapping through the channels in hope of catching a glimpse of their soon to be guest, or not guest if a disaster kept him. But Lois couldn't find him, neither on TV nor on any news ticker or gossip page. Richard considered whether Superman had faked it and was trying to get out of their diner invitation.

The table had been set, outside in the evening sun. Lois' idea. Richard figured that Superman would probably get more out of the sun light than his lasagna. For a few days Richard had considered protesting, making Lasagna for Superman. When he could just fly to Italy and get all the lasagna he want, made by people undoubtedly better at it than Richard.

The oven timer went off and Lois gave up on trying to find Superman on the news.

They sat down at the table set for three. Wordlessly staring at each other and wondering whether they should start or wait for their guest.

Fortunately they were saved by the literal bell.

"Come in, Clark. Don't just stand outside. You are invited after all."

Lois was exasperated and Clark gave a little shy nod. Richard hadn't yet figured it out when Clark was playing the shy routine up and when he was just being shy. Richard had kept his eyes on Clark and as difficult as it sometimes was not to call Clark Superman in public or vice versa, he took a leaf from Lois' book and simply went by whatever Clark was wearing at the time. The glimpses Richard caught whenever Superman came by to take Jason flying, left Richard unsure who the real person was. With Jason he was certainly neither Clark nor Superman, but maybe Kal El was not the real man either. If Lois' plan worked, he'd find out sooner or later.

But for now the food kept them silent. Just some lasagne shared between friends. Richard was surprised that Clark actually stayed for the whole diner. He had caught the twitches, and so apparently had Lois.

"Do they need you?"

Clark looked at her with a small smile and then in a move Richard couldn't quite figure, took his glasses off and set them on the table. Before them a man Richard didn't know, neither the Superman that was on all news regardless what he did, nor the somewhat fumbling reporter back from a year-long world trip.

"They always need me. But for now emergency services can handle it."

A few days earlier Richard had run an article by Clark about the true heroes out there. The people without superpowers who kept far too long hours to help others. The article had of course been only on the local page. Superman had been on the front cover.

There was no more stalling, they had asked him here for a reason and they couldn't count on Superman not being needed much longer. The mood among them was shifting, cutlery set down. What had been an awkward atmosphere turned serious.

Lois was drawing a deep breath.

And was once again saved by the bell. Or rather her phone.

"Yes? Yes! Give me a second to get some pen and paper."

Richard and Clark both moved to get her what she needed, but she only waved them off and went inside.

The awkwardness was back.

Richard looking at the unknown man standing across from him, who looked back with eyes that were open and guarded at the same time.

He would not give up Lois without a fight, but maybe there'd not need to be a fight. Maybe none of them had to lose and all three could win.


End file.
